MARILYN PARKES-SEDDON
ABOUT THE AUTHOR -
Marilyn Parkes-Seddon is originally from Lancashire. After graduating from university in the Midlands, she spent most of her career in local government, Social Services Management. Having to finish work because of ill health, the author and her husband, Malc, decided to move for a better lifestyle. They have now lived in Dumfries and Galloway for twelve years, and it is a beautiful area that they both love. Wanting to do something, they ran an antique shop in Carlisle for several years. Marilyn has always enjoyed writing and has contributed to newspapers and magazines over many years. This is her first novel, and she is now writing her second.
SEEKING THE SCALLOP SHELL
Before the Reformation, the desire to go on pilgrimage was almost universal; it was a part of life. For some it was simply an act of piety, whereas others wished to obtain healing. Few would have doubted that by visiting a saint’s shrine or holy place they would gain indulgences to offset against their sins, fast-tracking themselves into heaven when they died. The scallop shell – symbol of St James – became the recognised badge of pilgrims everywhere.
In this book Marilyn Parkes-Seddon recounts her experiences visiting twenty-two places of pilgrimage in Britain. Her journeys take her from the tiny cell where St Julian lived in self-imposed incarceration for forty years to the unexpected jewel of Samye Ling Buddhist monastery in Dumfries & Galloway and the awesome grandeur of Durham Cathedral.